Notes from YCombinator Startup School
John went to YCombinator Startup School on our behalf. I haven't read his notes, yet. But I did find some pretty good notes on Scribd. Read them and enjoy.
Here's a taste - notes on Max Levchin's talk. His usual obsession with metrics are represented.
Max Levchin, “A Crash Course in Product Management”
Founder, PayPal
Product management is about:
- Channeling the user
- Developing a fantastic interface
The best product managers are people who understand computers.
Why do most startups fail?
- Most engineers fail to work out the details!
When you design a product, you need to think about whom you’re designing the product for!
- Try to achieve an out-of-body experience as close you can, while you are using the product.
- Observe the user closely!
- The best product can be used effectively while the user is distracted.
How do you find out what works? Metrics, metrics, metrics
- Measure everything
- Generate statistics
- There is no ready made package that will analyze the data appropriately – develop your own
Practical web design
- Design your sites to use blue; red and green are problematic for the color blind (8% of men)
- Scrolling is OK now that mice have scroll wheels – “keep it above the fold” is less relevant now
